Data on suicides in Scotland during 1931-1952 & population estimates for each of these years were obtained from the General Register Office for Scotland. The all-age suicide rate among men & women declined during the period. However, when this long-term decline is taken into account, the likelihood of suicide during the Second World War was higher than during the pre- & post-war periods. The overall decrease in suicide rates concealed large increases in younger male age groups & an increase in male suicides by firearms. The effects of war on younger people, reported in recent conflicts in central Europe, were also seen in Scotland during the Second World War. (31 refs.)